Hague, William Jefferson (1961– )

English Conservative politician, leader of the Conservative Party 1997–2001 and shadow foreign secretary from 2005. After the Conservative Party's defeat in the May 1997 general election, he succeeded John Major as party leader. In 1998, he committed the party to oppose joining the European single currency (ESC) for at least a decade and launched major reforms of the party's organization. Although a skilled parliamentary debater, he lacked the media skills of his opponent, Prime Minister Tony Blair. After the Conservatives suffered a landslide defeat in the 2001 general election, he resigned as party leader and was replaced by Iain Duncan Smith. In December 2005, after a period in which he had mixed politics with business directorships and media work, he joined the shadow cabinet of the new Conservative leader, David Cameron, as shadow foreign secretary.

Hague entered the House of Commons in 1989, representing the constituency of Richmond, Yorkshire, and was private secretary to the chancellor of the Exchequer 1990–93, parliamentary under-secretary of state for social security 1993–94, minister for social security and disabled people 1994–95, and secretary of state for Wales 1995–97.

He was the first party leader not to become prime minister.

Born in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, Hague came to public attention in 1977 when, at the age of 16, he addressed the party's annual conference. He was educated at a comprehensive school and at Oxford University where he studied politics, philosophy, and economics and became president of the Union in 1981. After completing an MBA course he worked for a management consultancy company 1983–88 before entering full-time politics.

In the final ballot of the party leadership election in May 1997, Hague beat the former chancellor, Kenneth Clarke by a wide margin of 92 votes to 70. The youngest party leader for more than 200 years, Hague promised to unite the party and included in his shadow cabinet three of his rivals for leadership, Michael Howard, Peter Lilley, and John Redwood (Clarke had earlier declined an invitation to join him). However, in June 1999, Hague carried out a major reshuffle of his shadow cabinet, including the sacking of his deputy, Lilley.